Kanye West Snags Nine BET Hip-Hop Awards Nominations

Hit that drum roll sample, please. BET has announced its nominees for this year's BET Hip-Hop Awards -- an evening of fun, drama, disastrous fashion and unparalleled cable TV glory. The marquee "I Am Hip-Hop Award" goes to Ice Cube for his iconic contribution to the genre, while Kanye West leads the pack with nine (!) nominations in everything from live performance and features to lyricism and production.

Hosted by actor and comedian Mike Epps and taking place at Atlanta's Boisfeuillet Jones Civic Center on Oct. 10, the ceremony will premiere on BET Oct. 27 at 8PM ET. Awards are decided by the illustrious Hip-Hop Awards Voting Academy (great name, right?) - a combination of journalists, fans and industry executives. On top of the usual "Track of the Year" style awards, BET has added the new "Made-You-Look Award" for trendsetting fashion and "Best Hip-Hop Blog Site" to honor the best outlet for online commentary and news.

Besides Yeezy's nine nominations, Jay-Z and Lil Wayne snagged seven nods and T.I. received six nominations.